Automobile signal



' Oct. .14 1924.

P. l. KlSSlCH AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL Filed Jan. 22. 1923 Patented Oct. 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES PETER I. KISSICH, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

Application filed January 22, 1923. Serial No. 614,144.

To c-ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1 PETER I. KrssioH, a citizenof the United States, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to signaling ap-,

the signahbearing car is to stop, orturn to the right or left.

The invention is fully disclosed in the description and claims following, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved signal, as applied to an automobile, parts of which are shown conventionally, and partly in section. Fig. 2 shows the signal as seen from the rear. Fig. 3 shows the working mechanism of the signal as it appears with the back-plate removed. Fig. 4 is a central, vertical section of the apparatus as seen from one side. Fig. 5 shows in perspective the foot-lever apparatus for operating the right and left signals.

The apparatus comprises in part a casing,

5 divided by a partition 6 into front and rear compartments, the front compartment, however, facing to the rear when in position on an automobile body 7, to which it is attached by a suitable bracket 8. The front (of the apparatus) is in the nature of a lantern, being glazed at 9, and provided below that with a red bullseye 10 and an electric lamp 11 as a regular rear light. The bottom of this forward compartment is also glazed at 12, so that the light from the lamp may illuminate the number-plate (not shown), which is supposed to be mounted below it. The face of the partition exposed through the large glass is preferably enameled in white, so as to present a clear and luminous back-ground for the signaling figure, to be described presently.

A short distance in front of this partition is mounted a sheet-metal figure 13, serving as a support for a pair of semaphore arms 14 and 15, pivoted to the main body. To give a striking and arresting character to the signal, the body is best shaped and painted to simulate a policeman, or traflic officer, with his arms hinged at the shoulders, to serve as semaphores.

The pivots 16 of the arms pass through the partition, and behind it are attached to short cranks 17 and 18. A shortarm 19 of each crank is provided with a tension spring 20, which serves to draw the arms down to the normal, invisible position, parallel with the body. The longer arm of each lever carries a stud 21 toengage shoulders on a sliding cam 22 mounted in a guide 23 attached tothe back side of the partition. A tension spring 24 attached at one end to the upper part of the casing, and at the other end to a stud 25, serves to draw the cam plate upwardly to normal position, when the lever-studs lie in recesses 26 and 27 in the plate. To the stud is attached the pullwire or cable 28, which is carried through a curved piece of tubing 29 secured to the bracket, and thence forward (with respect to the automobile) tothe controls operable by the foot of the occupant of the car. Near the operating end the pull-wire branches into three strands, 28 28 and 28, respectively. The first connects directly with the brake-lever 30 of the automobile. )Vhen the brake is applied, for stopping or retarding the car, the cam is pulled down one space, when the cams 31 and 32 act on both levers, and throw the semaphore arms to the position shown in Fig. 2, the traffic otiicers well-known signal to stop. Another strand connects with a bell-crank lever 33, one of a pair pivoted to a plate 35 secured to the foot-board 36. Thrust-pedals 37 and 38 connect with the upper arms of these levers, and are pressed down bythe operators foot to actuate the levers. ating the lever 33 produces a longer move ment of the cam, whereupon the left semaphore (from the observers point of view) drops by the passing of the lever 18 into a recess 39, leaving the other semaphore extended, as a warning to the following car that the signaling car will move toward the right. The third strand connects with the bell-crank lever 34, which as will be seen has a longer throw than the other, and moves the cam to the third space. The

shoulder 40 then engages the left crank, and lifts this semaphore, and the other drops as its crank passes beyond the shoulder 82. The indication then is that the signaling car will turn to the left. On the release of this lever the tension springs restore the parts to the initial position, and the movements of the semaphores is repeated, but so rapidly as to cause no confusion, even if their action is observed.

' By little more than mere duplication the signal may be mounted on some forward part of the car, so as to be seen from in front, but this is considered of much less importance than the rear signal, since the approaching car is on the opposite side of the street, and its movements may be readily anticipated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 7 l

1. In an automobile signal, a figure carrying a pair of semaphore arms, a support therefor, means adapted, by movement in one direction, to throw said arms successively to varying signaling positions, and manually operable means connecting with said arm-throwing means, whereby the various signals are produced by intermittently progressive movements.

2. In an automobile signal, a figure carrying a pair of normally depending semaphores, a support for said figure, means cooperating withthe semaphores to raise both simultaneously, and each one successively by movement in one direction, and pulling means connecting therewith, a foot lever for each semaphore, and a brake-lever, for the pair, all separately connecting with said pulling means, and adapted to operate inde pendently. i

3. In an automobile signal, a figure carrying a pair of normally depending semaphore arms, cranked to engage a shifting cam, a cam adapted to raise both arms simultaneously, and each arm separately and successively by movement in one direction, means to restore the cam to initial position, a brake-lever, a pair of foot-levers'varying in their actuating movement, and pulling means separately and independently connecting the brake-lever and foot-levers with said cam.

a. In an automobile signal, a figure carrying a pair of cranked, normally depending arms, a sliding cam notched and shouldered to co-operate with the cranks, to successively raise both arms and then each arm singly by movement in one direction, means to restore the cam to initial position, a brakelever, a pair of short and longer throw footand separate terminals thereof connecting with the brake and foot-levers.

5. In an automobile signal, a figure carrying a pair of cranked, normally depending arms, a sliding c am shouldered for both simultaneous and single engagement with the cranks whereby in its sliding movement in one direction the arms are successively moved to signaling position, springs to restore the cam and arms to normal position, a pulling wire. or cable attached to the cam, a pair of foot-levers differing in throw, a brake-lever, and branching terminals connecting the cable with the respective levers.

6. In an automobile signal, a figure oarrying a pair of cranked, normally depending arms, a sliding cam adapted by its movement in one direction to produce successivelyboth simultaneous and separately independent movements of the arms to signaling position, restoring springs for the cam and arms, a pulling wire or'cable, a supportfor the figure, and a curved tubular guide there for, carrying thewire or cable from a vertical to a horizontal position.

7 In an automobile. signal, a figure carrying a pair of. cranked, normally depending arms, a glazed enclosure therefor, a lamp to illuminate said enclosure, a sliding cam adapted by movement in one direction to successively raise both arms, and then each arm singly, and means operable by the occupant of the automobile to pull said cam.

8. In an automobile signal, a luminous, glazed enclosure, a simulated human figure mounted therein, and carrying a pair of cranked,'normally depending arms, means co-operating withthe cranks to successively raise both arms and each arm singly by movement in one direction, and means con necting therewith, and operable by the occupant of the automobile, to-efiect the desired positions of said arms.

9. In an automobile. signal, a luminous enclosure, glazed in front and at the bot-- tom, a lamp mounted therein, a figure also mounted therein carrying a pairof cranked, 1

normally depending arms, means co-operat ing with the cranks to raise both arms and each separate arm, successively by movement in one direction, and actuating means operable by the occupantof the car to cause the .PETER I. Kiss-1 011;". lVitnesses F. W. ARMSTRONG, MARTHA A. HEALD, 

